


Boys are a Diamond’s Best Friend

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Multiverse, Selfcest, Slow Burn, Steven Universe is Pink Diamond, Steven Universe is a Diamond, Stevencest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24378400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: What would happen if a Diamond!Steven met a ‘normal’ Steven? The answer is: many things.(takes place during SU:F, some changes will be made)
Relationships: Pink Steven Universe/Steven Universe, Steven Universe/Steven Universe
Comments: 13
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This particular Diamond!Steven belongs to me, as he is part of one of my personal AUs.

At first glance, everything in his room could come across as normal. Steven woke up on the pile of fluffy blankets and soft pillows that he called a bed. The distant sound of Pebbles running around could be heard, though the brat paid it no mind. He had a big day ahead of himself to prepare for.

The young tyrant jumped out of bed, his eyes filled with stars. Today was the day when he would be getting his first colony. White was hesitant to give him ownership of Earth at first, seeing as how the _original_ Pink took advantage of such a wondrous opportunity. Even if he was the _new_ Pink Diamond, Blue and Yellow were just as nervous about it as the tallest ruler was. It took his entire sixteen years of life to finally convince them that he was ready to become a better ruler than his mother ever could be.

Oddly enough, his Pearl was yet to arrive. An irritated glance around the room confirmed this. Knowing that he didn’t have enough time to wait for her today, he opened his closet and changed into his Diamond attire. The Pebbles built a mirror for him once he finished and he smiled at his reflection. His hair was light pink, the same shade of his mother’s. Speaking of his mother, he got those same pink eyes with diamond-shaped pupils that she used to have. Even if his skin was pale, no blemishes could be spotted.

Despite the significance of what was soon to happen, he still wore the same clothes he wore on any other typical day. His light pink crop top curved upwards on either side, allowing the glimmering gem on his navel to be displayed nicely. It had a pentagon-shaped opening that could best be described as an inverted-side view of a round-cut diamond. A slightly darker yet more transparent cloth draped over his shoulders like a cape. Light pink, flowy shorts went down to barely above his knees while darker pink boots reached the bottom of them. Gloves of the same shade went up to a little below his elbow and the sleeves of his shirt covered his shoulders nicely.

A surge of pride ran through him as he saluted his reflection in the mirror. Lesser gems would finally treat him with the respect he deserved. He turned around and went to the entrance of his room, mindlessly pushing away the bubbled gems that ran into him. For whatever reason, they were much lower to the ground than they should be. Once he realized this, he frowned but decided to be dismissive about it anyways.

He pushed the doors open and stepped into one of many halls within his palace. The lack of any Gems there made him feel even more perplexed than he was before. Typically, Pearls and Quartzes would be running around at this hour. A wave of apprehension hit him when he turned to walk to the palace entrance.

As he strode down the halls, he couldn’t spot even a single other Gem. This only made him even more nervous. He was important, the replacement of _Pink Diamond,_ so why wasn't any of his court here? Perhaps one of the others called for an announcement to be made. It was the only thing that could explain the unsettling silence within the halls.

Suddenly, something luminous could be spotted in the distance. This startled Steven, who quickly recognized that the source of light wasn’t coming from a Gem. Slowly, he walked to it. The closer he got to it, the brighter it got.

Eventually, he got to it. The light was bright enough to the point where it was impossible to tell where it was coming from. Impulsively, he reached out to it with his eyes screwed shut. The last memory he remembered was blacking out in the middle of his palace.

───── ❝ **CHAPTER ONE** ❞ ─────

“Hello? Are you awake?”

The voice was unfamiliar. It sounded more masculine than feminine, although he hadn’t met too many males in his lifetime. Gems always identified as females. The only men he ever met were organics from that Zoo his mother used to have. This is why when the voice said something else, he sat bolt upright. There’s no way he could have fallen asleep in that awful place.

He found himself somewhere he didn’t recognize. The sky above was a bright blue hue that he had never seen before. Across from him, he saw water. It wasn’t like the water that was in the Zoo, though, seeing as how it was pretty dark. Beneath him was something soft that he didn’t recognize.

“Are you okay?”

There was that voice again. Groggily, he peered up at wherever the voice was coming from. Sure enough, the person in front of him was a male. He wore clothing that organics at the Zoo would _never_ be allowed to wear. This paired with their strange surroundings nearly overwhelmed the teen, who scrambled back and narrowed his eyes.

“Why are you so close to me?” He finally shouted. “Haven’t the Quartzes trained you how to be around a Diamond? Because it appears that you don’t know anything! Rule number one, never get close to me without being given permission! I don’t want lower life forms anywhere near me!” He cast him a sideways glance.

This appeared to startle the human, causing the other to smirk at his reaction. Confusion washed over his features as he stood up. “Sorry, I was just trying to help!” The concern laced in his voice only made the pink-haired boy hate him more. “Steven, you never just randomly fall asleep on the beach for hours at a time!”

Slowly, the boy stood. He brushed the sand off of his clothes. Thankfully, he was still in the same outfit that he was in earlier. The mention of his name seemed to make the alarm bells go off in his head. “I- I never told you my name!” He stammered, “Besides, you may _only_ refer to me as your Diamond! Am I understood?”

His words didn’t faze the human, who instead examined him with a bewildered expression. Ugh. Organics really could be dumb at times, couldn’t they? After a few moments passed, he replied, although Steven couldn’t bear to hear his incessant whining at that moment. Everything was far too puzzling for him, from the irritating organic to their peculiar surroundings.

Turning to the organic once again, he crossed his arms. “Where _are_ we? Last time I checked, I was on Homeworld.” Of course the other was confused by his words. He groaned, stepping closer to the organic. The stranger was taller than him by a few inches, but he didn’t care. He was above them all, _everyone_ was forced to answer him. “I asked you a question. Answer it.”

“Steven,” The organic said gently, his face softening in a way that made the other feel gross, “You’re not on Homeworld anymore…! You’re on Earth now, right here at your home in Beach City!” His tone was warm and kind, but his words made no sense whatsoever. On Earth? And what’s a ‘Beach City?’

“Come,” The human continued, gesturing to him, “I understand that you’re scared but you’re going to be okay. Follow me, let’s get you home.” Before the hybrid could even snap back at him, he grabbed his wrist and began to pull him along. Understandably, this hurt the smaller, who let out a pained hiss between his clenched teeth.

The organic led him to some strangely placed building that made him quirk a brow. Besides the giant statue, nothing was very interesting about it. Even then, Homeworld was full of statues just like that one that could actually move and talk if need be. He was dragged up a flight of stairs that were far too boring for him to ever use. Expectantly, the human hit a button and waited by the door. Why couldn’t he just walk in?

A familiar gem answered. He didn’t know exactly who _she_ was, but he did recognize the common features that many Pearls had. This included the long pointed nose, the thin, tall form… his own Pearl has these things. Nervously, the organic shrugged his shoulders.

“I was doing my mail route when I found Steven laying on the beach half asleep,” He informed, nodding in the other’s direction. “He’s been acting kind of strange in all honesty. Something feels off about him.” The Gem turned to him, raising a brow.

She glanced back inside the house before turning to the organic again. “That wouldn’t make sense! Steven is right there in the kitchen!” With wide eyes, she turned to stare at the newcomer. Somewhere from behind her, another figure could be seen approaching the doorway.

When the other figure pushed past the Pearl gently, Steven felt ten times more disconcerted than he felt before. Although the other had brown hair, dark eyes, and wore different clothing he almost looked like a replica of him. They stood there, staring at each other dumbfoundedly. No words were said.

“Organic!” Steven snapped, turning to the human with a displeased glare. “Why did you take me here?! I _asked_ where I _am,_ not who my knockoff was!” He scowled at the copy of himself. Of course an organic of all things would want to be high-ranking. Rolling his eyes, he turned to his replica. “And you! Stop pretending to be me or I’ll have you shattered!”

An all too familiar shield was summoned, not by him but by the _other_ him. “Calm down, no one’s going to be shattered,” He reassured, stepping in front of the organic protectively. Then, he turned to Steven. “Who _are_ you?”

“Who do you _think_ I am?” His voice held a sarcastic edge to it. He gestured to his gem and pointed at his eyes. “I’m your Diamond! You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do! Try to control me again and you’ll _never_ forget the name ‘ _Steven Pink Diamond’_ ever again!”

The other groaned. “Steven Pink Diamond… this _has_ to be a joke.” He said, exchanging glances with who Steven could only guess was his Pearl. “I’m Steven Quartz Universe. If you want to prank me, at least get my name right.” Someone emerged from behind him as he spoke.

Steven jumped back, forming his shield. _“Fusion!”_ He cried out. The fusion was made up of two different gems. She lifted her hands and he caught a glimpse of the gems on the palms of her hands. A Ruby and a Sapphire? Disgusting.

She didn’t respond, pushing up her glasses and turning to other Steven and Pearl. “According to my future vision, his presence wasn’t expected at all… he’s changing all of what I can foresee by being here.” This surprised the Pearl. 

The three of them conversed amongst each other, occasionally sparing a look in Steven’s direction or questioning the organic. He stood there awkwardly, allowing his eyes to travel. If this _was_ Earth, then it was much more pretty than he had expected. It would be much better once colonized, of course. 

“I don’t have all day,” He pointed out impatiently, quirking a brow with an unimpressed gaze. “White has a meeting for us today about colonizing! I’m getting my first planet today! If I’m late, Blue and Yellow would say I’m still too irresponsible for a colony of my own!”

“Colony?” The Pearl parroted. Steven noticed how quickly she glanced down at his gem before facing elsewhere. “I think Garnet might just be right. It would explain a lot,” She turned to him, “Erm, ‘my Diamond,’ would you like to come inside and explain a few things?” She said his title as if it were something gross.

Steven straightened his posture before he strode into the room without saying a word. He heard some words being exchanged behind him, but he didn’t care enough to listen in. The furniture wasn’t anything worth noting, seeing as how it all was very mundane. When an Amethyst (an Off-Colored one, at that) walked into the room, she was momentarily nonplussed. “Hey Ste-man! What’s up with the getup?”

The door closed and other Steven waved at her awkwardly, “I’m Steven. That’s… also Steven?” He sounded just as clueless as everyone else did. ‘Also Steven’ took a seat, making sure he kept good posture the entire time. It was important for him to show off his elegance, after all.

“So… Steven,” Pearl began, sighing when two sets of eyes looked back at her. “Okay, this is ridiculous but let’s call that Steven ‘Diamond.’ He clearly likes being addressed as a Diamond anyways.” 

‘Diamond’ smirked, “Now you’re getting the hang of it. Sure, I’ll go along with your little nickname if it helps you feel better.” The response made everyone else in the room give him an irritated glare. He stifled his laughter.

“So, _Diamond,”_ Pearl started again, taking a seat across from him, “Where are you from?” The Amethyst took a seat next to her with a curious countenance. Steven awkwardly stood a few feet away while the fusion stood behind the Amethyst. 

“Homeworld,” He faltered before allowing his shield to dissipate. “Where else would a Diamond live? Earth? Absolutely not, you’re so strange for staying on a planet with a bunch of organics. Do you want to come home with me? My Pearl may be shattered soon anyways, I could always use a new one!”

The Gem visibly cringed at this statement. Diamond considered Pearls to be very frivolous, of course. In his sixteen years, he’s had five different ones so far. Three of which were shattered, while the other two were given away to a Morganite once they became outdated.

Steven decided to speak now. “If you’re from Homeworld, how come we’ve never seen you? Knowing myself, I would _never_ willingly become a member of the Diamond Authority. I’m the one who got rid of that system so that Gems can live their lives the way they _want_ to live them!”

“I would never do such a pathetic thing,” Diamond scoffed. “That’s the complete opposite of what White would want! She wants everything to be perfect, not… whatever _that_ plan is!” He put a hand on his chest, clearly offended by the thought alone.

Although Steven was about to reply, the fusion quickly interrupted him. “Maybe they really _are_ from different universes,” She observed. Then, she glimpsed down at Diamond. “You’re about to ask me what my name is. It’s Garnet.”

The teenager rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on with you… Off-Colors and the uglier version of myself, but it’s wasting tim..” His voice trailed off as he peeked at the date. How long had he been asleep? “The meeting was days ago?! Don’t touch me!” He pushed away Steven’s hand when the other reached over to grab his shoulder.

“We need to talk about this,” Amethyst admitted with a frown. “Maybe Peridot would know something! You know P-Dot, she always knows everything!” She suggested with a lazy grin. Pearl remained silent.

“Good idea,” Garnet complimented, glancing between Steven and Diamond before speaking. “Steven, stay here and watch Diamond while we’re gone. We won’t take too long.” Before the boy could even protest, the Gems leaped onto the Warp Pad and warped away.

An uncomfortable, tense silence was what ensued. Diamond had no interest in talking to a version of himself who wanted to be more _organic_ than anything. The thought alone made him frown. As expected, it was Steven who started the conversation.

“Have you ever been to Earth?”

His tone was surprisingly smooth and calm. His aura was warm and welcoming, even to someone he barely trusted. In response to this, Diamond shook his head. “No. Why would I _want_ to go to a planet filled with organics of all things?”

“Because of things such as the freedom to make your own decisions,” He informed quickly. “Along with that, there’s things like friendship, and love, and a whole bunch of other things that you wouldn’t find under Homeworld’s rule!” He beamed, determination evident in his eyes.

Sighing, Diamond shook his head slowly. “The Diamonds must have been awful at raising you, judging by how you turned out.” Words like this would make most people feel insulted. However, Steven only tilted his head.

“The Diamonds? _Raising_ me?” He could only laugh at these words. “They wish! Whenever I go over, they always just want to smother me in attention! I was raised by Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl! My dad, too, when he had the time!” 

A fake smile came over Diamond’s features. “It explains a lot. It truly, sincerely does.” Why wasn’t the other getting hurt by his words? “If the Diamonds raised you, Earth probably would have been colonized by now! I feel bad for you, they helped me become the best of the best! Because of them, I’m perfect as can be!” He boasted. “You and your organics are so cute, though! So emotional and fragile! You fail to even realize that Homeworld has everything Earth has with a lot more things too!”

There it was. Although he didn’t give the impression of being hurt, he _did_ appear to be annoyed. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Does Homeworld have friendship? Love?” His tone was sarcastic this time around.

Bemused by the question asked, Diamond crossed his arms. “What is… ‘friendship?’” He asked, gazing at the other expectantly. Steven frowned at his question, guiltily glancing to the side.

“Of course you wouldn’t know what friendship is,” He murmured with a soft sigh. “Friends are people who care for each other and love each other. They’re people you go to whether you’re at your best or your worst. They’ll always be there for you, and you trust them to the point where you believe this.”

Diamond grimaced. “Yeah, no, don’t have time for that. Our job is to colonize different planets, not kiss someone’s ass.” The other version of himself was listening now for sure. “Why would you _want_ a friend? That’s a waste of time!”

“Because, it’s nice getting to know people and knowing that you can help them!” Steven admitted, “I’ll show you why it’s nice to have friends! _You’re_ my friend now! I’ll teach you how to make friends as well!”

“Absolutely not,” Diamond retorted, “Don’t you have any dignity? I’d rather not be forced into being… ‘close’ with someone who’s very annoying.” This is awkward.

“Ah-Ah-Ah,” Steven wagged his finger, “I’d be more than happy to be your best friend, too! The more you whine, the closer I’ll make us be!” He chuckled at the other’s sour expression. This only made Diamond sigh loudly.

“You hardly even know me, human. All I know about you is that you’re sensitive and easily hurt. That human half of you shines through when it comes to your personality. I’d be more than happy to teach you how to be a proper Diamond.”

Happily, Steven stood up. “Step one to making friends,” He began, dragging a chair closer to the other. He swung it around and sat in it backward, his elbows propping up his head on the back of the chair, “Get to know the person. What is there to know about Steven Pink Diamond?” His eyes were filled with hope.

The action alone made an unfamiliar feeling arise in Diamond. Someone _wanted_ to know about him? Even though the other was probably even more annoying than Holly Blue Agate, he decided to humor him. “Well, I’m the replacement of Pink Diamond! I’m going to be better than her, starting by getting my colony…”

Little did they know, this would be the start of a new chapter in both of their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

The Peridot was strange. She acted a lot like most Peridots that Diamond had met sometimes, but at other times she acted like she was a completely different Gem. It disoriented him, although Steven assured him that yes, she _was_ in fact a Peridot. Eccentric was a fitting word to describe her personality.

Throughout her visit, she was very excited about the possibility of there being a parallel universe. When Diamond asked what she was talking about, she tried her hardest to explain what they were more simply. This didn’t work, seeing as how he was left more clueless once she was finished. She muttered something about running a few tests on him before examining everything about his life.

However, the tyrant quickly learned that she was much more different than he originally expected. She was comforting, behavior that was considered strange for Peridots to have. Admittedly, he would be forced to shatter her if she was from his universe. He remembered how the majority of them were. They were always very unwelcoming.

Diamond could never forget the day when he was barely seven. He had been sent to visit White in order to discuss something. Her Pearl never told him what exactly it was about, although he didn’t protest against it. While Blue and Yellow tended to be strict on him, White had always been a lot less demanding when it came to how he was.

As usual, she was in her head ship. The only thing that wasn’t usual was the Peridot who stood in the center of the room. Among the youngest ruler’s arrival, she was quick to salute him and say the usual terms of endearment that he received quite often. White Diamond interrupted her, forcing her into silence.

“There you are, Starlight!” She had said with that signature smile, “You’ve never been very good at punishing the Gems in your court. We let this slide time and time again, but it’s about time you learn the easiest way to punish _any_ misbehaving Gem!” At these words, the Peridot flinched and averted her gaze.

The pink diamond printed onto her uniform helped him realize that this was one of _his_ Gems. He turned to the elder, tilting his head to the side with a puzzled grin, “What did she do?” The submissiveness in his tone was surprising to the green Gem. Diamond was bratty and brutal when it came to his court. They were forced to turn his dreams into reality.

Suddenly, the Peridot fell onto her knees, clearly by force. The lower half of her body was pale while her upper half continued to be green. Diamond quickly recognized the paleness as White’s powers forcing her to stay down. Even then, White still held her smile.

“She fused with another Gem. Not just any gem, but an _Agate._ The Agate has already been dealt with by Blue. Now is your turn to deal with a rebellious Gem,” She informed him. The Peridot was clearly shaken up by then. This gained no reaction from the tallest Gem, who instead continued to speak to Diamond, “In order to do this, you’re going to need to go to _her_ gem. Hers is on her right shoulder. What you’ll want to do next is squeeze it with all of your strength. Allow your anger to become your strength in this scenario…”

That was the first time Diamond ever shattered someone.

───── ❝ **CHAPTER TWO** ❞ ─────

“You have to give everyone a chance! Sometimes, it’ll take only one chance, or maybe it’ll take ten! Maybe even a thousand! But you have to stay patient,” Steven droned on, “You never know. The person who wanted to do wrong could have just had a bad backstory, or could just be fueled on their hatred for you! It’s always worth the wait, and-”

“Please shut up. You’re contaminating the air with your toxic amount of stupidity.”

It all started when Steven decided to show Diamond around Beach City. Of course, the pink-haired boy was utterly unimpressed by the scenery. This wasn’t a surprise seeing as how he had grown up in a palace on Homeworld of all places. Desperate to make his acquaintance feel at home, Steven brought him to Fish Stew Pizza. Who wouldn’t feel at home with the best pizza place on all of Earth nearby?

As they were entering the restaurant, a group of Gems were exiting it. Orange Spodumene was amongst her formerly-corrupted friends, looking at someone else as she spoke. However, she accidentally ran into Diamond. She was quick to apologize, only to be yelled at by the stranger. He told her that he was higher than her, that he could easily shatter her right then and there if he wanted to. Steven was quick to step in and drag him away after apologizing.

They ended up on top of Brooding Hill. The moment they both sat down the bickering began. Diamond saw no error in his ways, telling the kinder version of himself that it was his job to put “lesser Gems” in their places. Steven, on the other hand, argued that he hadn’t even given any “lower lifeforms” a chance. When the slightly-shorter hybrid said that giving chances was “ridiculous when you could just shatter them,” the pacifist began to rant.

Steven seemed mildly offended by his reply. However, he knew deep down that this behavior was to be expected from someone who grew up being told that he would be another dictator his entire life. Instead of shooting an insult back, he just shook his head slowly.

Deep down, Diamond knew that his ‘tour guide’ wasn’t only upset at him. It was obvious that he was upset about people from the past as well, most likely those who he had to fight against. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even mentioned bad people who could ‘be good if they wanted to be.’ The thought alone made him scoff to himself.

With an irritated whine, Steven stood up again. The authoritarian watched as he forced a beam onto his face after taking a deep breath, “Let’s just continue our tour. For the time being, let’s not get any pizza or go to Little Homeworld either.” The latter caused Diamond to tilt his head to the side, confused.

“Little Homeworld?” He parroted, quirking a brow and walking down the hill with Steven. “What’s that? A tiny planet where a bunch of Pebbles have their own society? The Great Pebble Authority?” Snickering at his ‘tourist’s’ expression, he continued. “Knowing you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you cried enough to make an entire society of Pebbles.”

This time, he received no response. A frown made its way onto Diamond’s face. The best part about the day so far was that he was able to annoy his ‘new friend.’ Truthfully, he didn’t even want to be the kid’s friend. In his eyes, friendships were a sign of weakness. Why would you waste your time helping out lesser lives when you could be colonizing your planets and doing things by yourself?

The much-appreciated silence was cut short when a Lapis Lazuli approached them. She shot a perplexed glance in Diamond’s direction before turning to Steven. “Steven, Little Homeschool needs you! Amethyst needs your help assigning Gems new jobs that they can have for the time being!”

Now _that_ caught Diamond’s attention. The pacifist noticed this and internally groaned. “I guess Diamond and I can help with that,” He muttered with a shrug. Then, he looked up at the blue Gem with a forced smile. “You go on ahead, we’ll take the Warp Pad.” With a nod, she flew away.

“I guess you _will_ be visiting Little Homeworld today,” Steven shot a side glance in Diamond’s direction. “Little Homeworld is a place where formerly corrupted Gems or any Gem in general who wants to live here stays. Beach City is too small for a bunch of people to live there, so we built another town for them! In that town is Little Homeschool, which is a place where Gems can come to learn what they want to do now that they can make their own decisions!”

As he finished his explanation, the two stepped onto the Warp Pad. Admittedly, Diamond didn’t mind it too much. It was a much faster way of transportation than taking that thing called a car. However, the information he received nearly made him fall over laughing. He turned to Steven, a smirk on his face. “You _do_ realize that, without the Diamond Authority, Gems have no purpose, right?”

“Of course they have a purpose!” Steven retorted. “But now, they can _decide_ what their purpose is! For all I know, you could secretly want to be a model, even if you’re… the way you are!” That was the nicest way he could put things.

“The way I am?” repeated Diamond, putting a hand on his chest with a proud beam, “You mean perfect? Outstanding? Far better than Pink Diamond _ever_ could be?” He noticed how Steven’s face fell at the mention of his mother. Despite this, he continued. “I’m a Diamond! I’m radiant, and beautiful, and unique!” He winked and poked a tongue out at Steven when he noticed him staring, poker-faced. In response, the brunette rolled his eyes although the pink tint on his cheeks was still visible.

After a few more words were exchanged between them (mostly consisting of Steven telling Diamond not to shatter any gems,) they entered Little Homeworld. The newcomer was strangely charmed by his surroundings and, even if he didn’t say anything, the ‘founder’ felt a surge of pride run through him. In some unique way, having someone appear too be amazed when they’re usually unimpressed was a compliment.

“Okay, I’m going to need to go help Amethyst real quick,” Steven pointed out, “I just need to recommend jobs that Gems may enjoy! Finally, after so long, they can try out new things that they’ve never done before!” Stars appeared in his eyes as excitement came over him. 

Shaking his head slowly, Diamond replied. “Just assign them the jobs that they’re _supposed_ to have. It’s what they’re going to be best at, anyways. For example, giving a Quartz a high ranking role would be incredibly stupid. They were made to be commanded by those above them. Give them the ability to command themselves and they’ll do dumb things.”

Steven glared at him. “They want to try new things! This is a new era, one where everyone can decide what they want to do and who they want to be!” He huffed. “And you know what? I’m sure a Quartz would make for an amazing manager, they’re very devoted and loyal! Wait out here, I’ll be out in a minute.”

With that, he rushed into a weirdly shaped building. Diamond tapped his foot impatiently, stifling his laughter as he did so. Clearly, the other knew nothing about having a purpose in life. Admittedly, he felt bad for him. He couldn’t imagine being raised by a group of rebels. Had he been raised by the Diamonds, he would be in a much better position right now.

His train of thought was interrupted when an odd-looking Gem approached him. She was tall, muscular, and made up of so many colors that he nearly vomited right then and there. With horror, he realized that this wasn’t just any ordinary Gem. She had two gemstones, which could only mean that she was a _fusion._

“Steven, when are your next interpretive dance classes?” She asked with a tone so gentle that he almost cringed. Sure, he looked like Steven, but there were obvious differences between the two of them. Since when did this universe’s Steven have pink hair or eyes that only a Diamond would possess? A sudden realization came over him and a mischievous appearance wrote itself onto his features.

Straightening his posture gazing up at her with a firm stare, the misplaced leader spoke. “Interpretative dance? That’s ridiculous, especially for a _fusion_ of two different Quartzes.” He watched as the fusion’s blank countenance twisted into one of surprise. “And why are you hanging around with a bunch of humans? Is it because they’re fragile and easy to break? Why don’t you go break your fusion apart and get back to protecting whatever you were assigned to prot-”

He was suddenly shoved to the side as Steven rushed past him. “Crazy Lace, I’m so sorry, that’s not me! That’s… we aren’t sure who, exactly, but Peridot and Garnet think that he may be a version of myself from another universe! Please be careful on who you approach, just remember that I don’t have pink hair,” Never had Diamond ever heard him speak so quickly.

“That explains it,” The fusion sent a nervous glimpse in Diamond’s direction before laughing nervously. “Don’t worry! I understand! A bunch of crazy things happen on this planet, it only makes sense that a… different version of yourself would appear randomly someday!” After speaking, she hastily walked off. Of course, she was still shaken up over what had been said.

Not a single word was said as Steven grabbed Diamond’s wrist and led him to an empty area. He let go and sat down, urging the brat to take a seat next to him. “Why do you keep being awful to innocent Gems who have never done anything to you?! What in your mind makes you believe that doing that is okay?!”

“Because, I can do whatever I want,” he said matter-of-factly, “I’m not an Off Color like _you._ I know that I can do whatever I want to do and say whatever I want to say! Lesser Gems will never be considered an equal to a Diamond, no matter _how_ hard you try. Just give up already. Stop playing games and play the role you were supposed to play instead. You could be so much more than someone who lives with emotional Organics and incorrect Gems!”

Proudly, he set a hand on his gem. He was glad to know that he was the replacement of Pink. Steven was so strange to him. Why _wouldn’t_ he want to be like his mom? It was so fun being way better than her and getting compliments stating that he was doing an amazing job at doing what she could never do.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Steven just shrugged his shoulders. “Incorrect Gems aren't always incorrect. Sometimes, they end up being the correct ones, and the greatest flaw you can have is believing that you were perfect. If you want to stay close-minded and never realize that there’s so much more to Earth than just pointing out ways to correct it, then fine. But don’t push that onto me or the other Gems. We love Earth. We’re capable of seeing that this planet has so much more to offer than Homeworld ever will."

Before Diamond had the opportunity to reply, Steven stood up. The bridge of his nose was bubblegum pink, a color he had never seen on him. The former leader watched with bated breath as he glared at him a final time before walking away.

What would it take for Steven to realize that he had been brainwashed by the rebels? That he was being far too lenient towards those who would only hurt him eventually?


	3. Chapter 3

“I don’t want to wait any longer, though! I want my own colony! I’m a Diamond, just like you!”

Diamond stood on his throne, crossing his arms and pouting. His throne was cracked due to just how strong his powers were, but he didn’t care. He had been asking to have his own colony for years now, yet the other Diamonds still refused to let him have one.

Yellow scowled. “Pink, that’s  _ enough!  _ White doesn’t want you to have a colony yet! No means no!” She pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated.

“So what?! If White doesn’t want me to have one, then can’t I get one from you?!” The small boy narrowed his eyes, pointing at the other accusingly. Blue stepped in now, pushing his hand down by force.

“No, Pink! All  _ three _ of us need to agree that you’re ready for a colony! Judging by your attitude right now, I don’t think you’re ready, either! I think White may be right!”

**_“White is WRONG!”_ **

The youngest Diamond was panting for air after screaming so loudly. To his confusion, the other two seemed surprised by his sudden outburst. They stared at him with wide eyes, opening their mouths while trying to figure out what to say. 

Silence was interrupted by a sickly sweet voice approaching behind him. “Pink Diamond, your presence is required!” He turned around and made eye contact with White Diamond’s Pearl. Right away, he knew that he messed up.

Before he could protest, he was forced into a bubble. A wave of apprehension hit him and he sweated nervously. Whatever his ‘presence was required’ for, he knew that it wouldn’t be good. The Pearl’s silence only made everything ten times worse. She stared down at him with that wide, creepy grin that never left her features.

As soon as the bubble popped, he fell onto the floor with an audible  _ thunk.  _ His surroundings were so disorienting for a second or so, although he finally recognized it as White’s ship. He was just looking at it from another angle. A frown came over his face. Is this what other rebellious Gems would see when they were brought here?

“Pink~”

White’s oh-so familiar coo made the hybrid flinch back. He looked up at her with wide eyes although, for some reason he couldn’t understand, he wasn’t able to move. She seemed much more threatening from this point of view than she truly was. Well, she wasn’t the nicest leader, but she was always kind to him.

“I couldn’t happen but hear your little…  _ outburst.”  _ Her smile remained on her face, although he saw the way her eyes slightly slanted. This only made him feel even more anxious than he did before.

He tried to reply, but his words fell dry and he coughed. Suddenly, it was like he’d been mute his entire life. The problem was that he was  _ far  _ from being eternally silent. For as long as he could remember, he was always chatty. 

“Starlight, I’m  _ perfect.  _ Everything I say is correct, whether you agree with it or not.” Her voice echoed around the room. “I will never be ‘wrong,’ because it’s impossible for me to ever be incorrect. It’s better for you to not have a colony that would end up failing right now.”

Slowly, his body began to freeze up. He watched helplessly as the pinks turned into a pale shade of gray. The last thing he heard was from  _ inside  _ his head.

“This is for your own good, Pink.”

───── ❝  **CHAPTER THREE** ❞ ─────

Organics called this time of the night ‘midnight.’ Steven told him this was because it was the first hour of the morning. However, the two hybrids were still awake. Diamond laid down on the bed while the other slept in a sleeping bag on the floor.

Neither of them were tired. After a long day, they usually were exhausted, but the day before was different. Each element in this universe only sparked more and more curiosity in the tyrant. Everything here was a very messed up, distorted version of his universe.

_ It’s fine.  _ He’d tell himself.  _ Soon enough, I’ll be back in my universe and I can get far away from here. _

His train of thought was out to a sudden halt when Steven sat up and looked at him with an unreadable expression. However, he recognized this face. “If you want to ask me something, then just ask.”

“What are things like where you’re from?”

The question took him by surprise. All of the genuine  _ interest _ in Steven's features made his heart pound for a reason he couldn’t explain. He excused the odd feelings and simply believed they were anxiety. Surely, that could explain the twist of emotions in his chest.

“Well, Pink Diamond had me and I took her place. I’m a far better leader than she ever could be, of course, so instead of the rebellion I’m on the side with my White, Blue, and Yellow. You know, the side you should be on as well,” He nearly smirked at Steven’s irritated expression. “Your Pearl here… well, first of all, I have a different Pearl. The Pearl you own is the same one that White owns back in my universe… she’s fairly new, though.”

He took a moment to think of whoever else seemed to have a big role in Steven’s life. “That Amethyst is  _ awfully  _ Off-Colored. If anything, she’s probably been shattered in my world. We don’t give mistakes like her a chance. And that  _ fusion?  _ Yikes. Probably also shattered!”

Steven nodded slowly, letting the details sink in. When he noticed the other trying to think of someone, he began to give suggestions. “Well, how about… dad?”

The name alone seemed to make something in Diamond snap. His formerly impassive expression was now much more lively. He scowled. “Shattered. He’s disgusting. Because of him, I’m being forced to be half  _ human  _ too. The Diamonds were very upset by all he had done. I met him once, and it was the worst day of my life.”

“The worst day…” Steven’s voice trailed off and he stared at the other, his eyes filled with horror. He shook it off and quickly tried to change the topic. Somehow, he was certain that Diamond didn’t want to talk about the events that happened that day. “And Connie?”

“Connie?” He repeated the name with a raised brow. “I don’t know a Connie. That’s a  _ hideous  _ name for a Gem, though! An Army of Connies… no wonder you didn’t want to be a Diamond.”

“What? No!” He shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. “Connie is a human! See? She looks like that!” He pointed to a picture neatly put into a frame. The other observed her features, his eyes squinted.

His eyes widened. For some reason he felt like he was torn out of his own body. The sights around him were blurry and he lost his balance. Then, his heart dropped. Someone was calling out his name! Someone who he was close to… why can’t he remember who? She sounded so desperate and fearful…

Glancing around ensued in nothing. He couldn’t see anyone! The screaming only got louder and he covered his ears, screwing his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. Why did he feel so helpless? He’s a Diamond, he’s far from being useless! Someone tugged on his sleeve and he whipped around, hoping that the girl would be there. That she would stop screaming his name.

_ “Diamond!” _

Dark, warm eyes met his pink ones. The hand on his shoulder squeezed him gently. Steven. He looked surprisingly concerned. Well, of  _ course  _ he would be. He’s soft, just like the other organics. Glowering, he pushed the others hand away from him.

“Don’t touch me!” He snapped. Seeing the other flinch back only worsened his mood. Why? Steven  _ should  _ be scared of him!

The two remained silent after that. Diamond took deep breaths, trying to forget whatever had just happened to him. What  _ was  _ that? He gazed at Steven and saw him pushing some shattered glass shards out of the room. Had he… broken another window when he was in that strange place? 

Above them, the stars twinkled. The ruler’s breath hitched and he walked up behind Steven, pointing to a vaguely familiar star. He snickered at how the other jumped, startled.

“Homeworld. That’s Homeworld.”

Steven gave him a thumbs up. “Now, let’s get back to bed. I’m sure we can really use it! Plus, I’m gonna learn all about your universe tomorrow!”

Too tired to argue, Diamond face planted into the bed and passed out.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

The golden disc rose higher and higher. Birds sang to it’s shine, alerting the other animals that it was now morning. All around Beach City, people were out getting prepared to open their shops that day. With this, they were able to enjoy it’s reddening beauty.

Sun rays reached through the window and hit Diamond. Groaning lightly, he burrowed himself back into the soft, warm sheets. When he was unable to go back to sleep, he rubbed any remainders of sleep from his eyes and peaked out at the horizon through the window. Vivid light extended across the rosy sky, creating a beautiful scene that he would have never experienced on Homeworld.

He was left star struck, gazing out at what looked like could be a painting. Yawning, he dragged his feet off of the bed and finally sat up before stretching. Curiously, he glanced at the sleeping bag on the floor. It seems that Steven must have woken up before him.

Even if he did dread going downstairs and interacting with the annoying version of himself again, he knew that he would have to at some point. After faltering for a while, he ran a hand through his messy hair and walked downstairs. An odd smell was what he was met with.

“Good morning, Diamond!” Steven greeted politely. In response, the other only nodded in his direction. Of course he was too tired to speak, who wouldn’t be?

Pearl, who had been doing something in the kitchen, waved at him. “I hope you slept well! If you’d like, I made some pancakes! They’re on the countertop, and the syrup is in the pantry.” There was only another nod in response.

As usual, she, Amethyst, and Garnet left for Little Homeschool after telling them to have a good day. They seemed reluctant to leave Steven home, though, but he insisted on taking the day off. The pink-haired boy glanced at the pancakes but quickly pushed them out of his thoughts. He didn’t have an appetite.

“Let’s go on a walk!” Steven suggested, bouncing up and placing his plate in the sink. His bright beam annoyed the other, who scoffed at the suggestion. As usual, the one with dark eyes won their argument.

That morning was chilly. Diamond only listened to the other’s incessant ranting about things he couldn’t care less about, such as some weird Jasper he mentioned a few times along with a graduation coming up. When the other suddenly paused, he looked at him, perplexed.

“Can… you tell me more about your universe?” He asked, taking a seat on a bench and urging the brat to sit down next to him. Why was this kid so curious about how the better version of his universe is?

Diamond, however, decided to humor him. Whatever got him to shut up was good in his eyes. “Well, you mentioned Jaspers. They’re all very Off-Colored for the most part. The original Pink Diamond made sure to make her essence be as worthless as possible. It apparently helped her in some rebellion she wanted to have against Homeworld,” He frowned, “In reality, she just messed their lives up as well. As soon as she was caught, the grand majority of them were cancelled. Some are still used for protective purposes, but they’re extremely low ranking.”

The brunette let this information sink in and he nodded slowly. “I guess that’s a similarity between our universes! Mom pretended to be Rose Quartz in a war against Homeworld! At the end of it, though, she had me and I ended up leading the rebellion into success!”

Quirking a brow, Diamond crossed his arms. “Pink Diamond tried to be a Rose Quartz, but she was caught in her pathetic attempt at ending the Great Diamond Authority. She lived the rest of her life as her true self, even after meeting… ‘Greg’ from the Human Zoo. He ruined her, though, and here I am. The Authority will never end where I’m from, because I won’t allow it.”

For whatever reason, Steven found this to be interesting. Anyone would notice the curiosity in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. He looked so adorable like that. Not that Diamond would ever say it out loud, of course.

“What’s Earth like there?”

“Easy. Half colonized already. White wanted me to finish off the colonization of that planet so I could put an end to what my mother could never even begin. There’s some organics, although many are killed due to the harsh conditions there.”

Just like that, they continued their conversation. For the first time in a long time, Diamond felt welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

Diamond didn’t even wait for an answer from Steven. He rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. The moment he arrived, he turned on the cold water in the sink and let out a relieved sigh when it ran over his wrists.

This universe was so confusing. He wasn’t used to any of it, really. Why would anyone care about him, or even want to know anything about him for that matter? He looked up and his reflection in the mirror was staring back at him, judging his appearance.

Everyone who ever said they cared about him before never were so kind. He remembered his first day realizing this vividly. Being an only child, he was rather spoiled by his caretakers growing up. At his command, people would do what he wanted or give him what he needed.

Back then, he never had his own colonies. However, Yellow or Blue would sometimes let him help them out. One day, Blue decided that he was trustworthy enough to look after one of her newer, smaller colonies for a little bit. As she said, it was “just a test like any other.”

His task was simple. All he had to do was keep an eye on the Gems formed and make sure none of them were Off-Colored, rather mentally or physically. This particular batch was mostly going to be Turquoises, although it wasn’t uncommon for Lapis Lazulis to come out a little early. 

Things didn’t go as planned. Blue’s Pearl, who was ordered to keep an eye on him, pointed out that yes, a Lapis Lazuli _had_ come out early. Excited to meet the Gem, he got to the Kindergarten as quickly as he could. Even if he was out of breath by the time he got there, something was clearly wrong.

The new Gem lay on the floor, shivering. Her physical form was glitching, threatening to dissipate at any given moment. He gasped, running to her side and frowning. “Are you okay…?!”

A few moments passed before she reacted. She stared up at him with large eyes and opened her mouth to speak. The words came out sounding like a strange series of noises. Blue Pearl quickly tapped him on the shoulder. “My Diamond… she’s cracked. It’s best to shatter her.”

“What?! No!” The boy gasped, holding the newcomer close to him and pouting. “I can fix her…!” He licked his hand and proceeded to place it on her gemstone. The cracks closed up, but he had somehow messed her up even more.

Blue Pearl was stunned. The Lapis was no longer blue and was instead more of an odd shade of dark pink. As it turned out, you shouldn’t heal Gems who were just formed. Diamond realized with horror that this was his doing. He made her Off-Color, meaning she would need to be shattered either way.

Before he was able to do anything, more and more Gems formed. Newly made Turquoises saluted him, complementing everything about him even though they had never even _met_ him. One of them, however, was very interested in the oddly colored Lapis. She got a little too close to the other and their gems shone.

When a bright flash of light surrounded the area, Blue Diamond came out of _nowhere._ She shattered the fusion and snatched the younger tyrant. Soon enough, he was sitting in the dark room with tears running down his eyes.

“Think about what you’ve done!” The other said before slamming the door shut. After that, the only noise anyone could hear was the loud whimpering coming from someone who everyone apparently cared for. Overtime, he learned that this was a lie.

**───── ❝ CHAPTER FOUR ❞ ─────**

“Guys! It’s amazing!”

Peridot barged into the room without permission. Her eyes were wide and her grin was dorkier than usual. Right away, Steven knew that something was up. Diamond didn’t look too pleased, while the other Gems just stared at the newcomer.

“Hey, Peridot,” Steven greeted, deciding to say hello just like anyone else would. It was just to be polite, really. “What’s amazing?”

 **_“HE_ ** is!” She exclaimed, pointing at Diamond and holding up her clipboard. “It’s true! He’s from another universe, one different from our own! This isn’t just a shapeshifter or someone who coincidentally looks like Steven! He and Steven have the _exact_ same genetic code and everything, even if it leads to different results in the eyes!”

Everyone was shocked, including the young ruler. How had he travelled to a different universe? Nothing was making any sense. When he tried to remember how he had even gotten here in the first place, his mind went blank. Why couldn’t he remember?

“How is this possible?” Pearl held a hand over her mouth, stunned. All eyed were on the person who really was their Steven from another universe. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t remember how I ended up here,” He admitted. “All I remember is waking up on the beach due to some nasty organic who had his hands on me.”

Peridot piped up once again. “I’m not sure _exactly_ how, but he was able to manipulate time and space. This is _huge_ news! We may have just found a new scientific discovery all thanks to him! Soon enough, we may even be able to travel to different dimensions!”

She ran up to Diamond and began to take notes. It was clear that she was jotting down everything she already knew along with more simple things she could easily find out. The hybrid wasn’t the biggest fan of the other circling around him, but he didn’t protest.

“If he’s me from another universe, then how come we both grew up so… differently? He was raised by the Diamonds to be the replacement of Pink Diamond! That’s the complete opposite of my story!” Steven, too, seemed pretty shaken up. They always considered the multiverse to be a possibility, but this is basically solid proof that it _did_ exist.

Garnet set a hand on his shoulder. “For all we know, there could be even more universes out there that are more similar to ours. I wouldn’t be too surprised if each universe was unique in its own way.”

“G’s right,” Amethyst crossed her legs and nodded. “But hey! There may be more versions of me! I can finally meet someone who understands what it’s like being me… even if she only understands because she _is_ me!” She laughed at the thought.

Their conversations continued. Diamond, slowly becoming overwhelmed, tried his hardest to tune everything out. He never _asked_ to be here! Why was _he_ the one who ended up being teleported to some random universe? Millions of questions plagued his mind. Surely, there had to be an explanation somewhere.

He couldn’t help but wonder how his universe was doing. Was he considered missing there, or did people maybe believe that he was dead? Did his family even miss him in the first place? Who was watching over his court while he was absent? Frustratingly enough, he _knew_ that he would have been overseeing new Gems come out of their holes today if he hadn’t been sent on whatever crazy space adventure this was. 

Of course he would never admit it, but he was growing homesick. He missed his family and his Gems. Even his _Pearl_ was missed! Part of him wanted to run off and find Homeworld, but the Authority was far more pathetic here than they were where he’s from. The reality of the situation was that he’s trapped. Trapped in a universe where he can’t even be himself.

Steven looked at him with a concerned expression, but Diamond didn’t care. He just wanted to be home. This universe had _nothing_ for him. Everyone seemed so excited by the discovery of the multiverse, but he couldn’t care less. All he could care about was eventually going home and running his colonies. He could forget all about this.

“Will I be able to go home?”

Clearly, no one was expecting him to speak. The question made them exchange glances with each other. Right away, part of him knew that there was no home. That this planet was his destiny now, even if he didn’t want it to be. Even if it wasn’t supposed to be.

“I’ll try and open a portal back to your universe!” Peridot concluded, taking a few more notes before continuing. “If you do remember anything that happened, tell me! This’ll take a lot of trial and error!”

Garnet hummed. “We’ll help in any way we can.” The other Gems nodded and Peridot _beamed._ Suddenly, it was like she had made the tension in the mood fade away. Their conversation continued.

Diamond didn’t understand it. All the Gems here seemed so _close._ Very rarely did he ever see someone alone here, and when he _did_ end up needing some space someone always offered to let him vent. People here were far too kind and lenient for their own good.

He and Steven exchanged glances again. Things just got a lot messier.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Check out my Twitter: stevencestual


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